A constitutional showdown has emerged following President Peter Mutharika's Executive Order No. 1 of 2026, which bans public health workers from owning private medical facilities and outlaws informal payments in state hospitals, according to Investigative Malawi and the Mail & Guardian. The directive gave public health staff 30 days to divest from private businesses following an undercover investigation that exposed extortion at major hospitals, including Kamuzu Central Hospital and Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital. The High Court in Lilongwe has suspended the enforcement of the ban to allow for judicial review while a full constitutional challenge is pending.
Meanwhile, rights advocates report that pregnant rape survivors continue to face barriers in accessing safe abortion services despite a landmark court ruling in October 2025, Nyasa Times reports. The Religious Leaders Network for Choice stated that the Ministry of Health has failed to issue clear instructions or adequately train personnel. This inaction leaves child victims of sexual and gender-based violence without the sexual and reproductive health services guaranteed to them under the Gender Equality Act.
At Mzuzu Central Hospital, a new study published in the Malawi Medical Journal details the successful use of intramuscular ketamine for MRI sedation in young infants. The procedure was safely completed for five infants aged between three and 90 days after non-pharmacological methods failed. Medical staff reported no adverse events or airway complications, establishing the method as a practical solution for diagnostic imaging in resource-limited healthcare settings.
Update: Following earlier coverage of the expired insulin scandal at state hospitals, further details have emerged. A new investigation by the Platform for Investigative Journalism reveals that GPSL Wholesale Ltd, the company implicated in stealing and relabelling the medication, is a rebranded version of Galaxy Pharmaceuticals. The original company was closed in 2013 after supplying faulty antibiotics linked to infant deaths at Mzimba District Hospital, MedicalBrief reports. Despite recommendations to revoke the supplier's license at the time, the firm only received a warning.